‘Crime is Toast’ honors officers’ contributions beyond the call of duty

ATLANTA — Honoring police officers who protect and serve every day, the Atlanta Police Department and Police Foundation recognized officers who went above and beyond the call of duty during the past year.

Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston talked about some of the heroic stories with the men and women in blue. The stories are inspiring and humbling.

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The “Crime is Toast” awards give a glimpse of what these officers go through every day. Saving lives and keeping people safe in Atlanta is all part of the job for the Atlanta Police Department.

Special Officer Robert Oden received a meritorious service award for saving a baby’s life. He said, “I reach out and call them at least once a week, and when I try to meet up with them I can, he’s doing great.”

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More than 1,000 people attended the breakfast ceremony, including Mayor Andre Dickens.

Dickens said, “This is the type of care that every single police officer of the Atlanta police...has for the members of this community.”

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Other recipients included officer Kelsey Craddock, who was named officer of the year, and four officers who ran into a burning home and rescued a woman. Officer Mikael Ware said, “We love what we do, seriously. It’s not about money, it’s not about time, it’s what we do for the city, and saving lives and saving people on their worst day.”

Interim Chief Darin Schierbaum said, “I think you got to peak behind the curtain today to see what these men and women do daily. We picked a few, but the nominations were many. This was a few to show the heart and capability and the quality of the men and women of the Atlanta Police Department.

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